Tilting window, especially for installation in an inclined roof

ABSTRACT

In a tilting window having a main frame (1), an intermediate frame (3) top-hinged therein, and a sash (7) pivotally mounted or tilting movement in the intermediate frame, said sash (7) comprises an arresting member (10) which is located in the vicinity of the pivot bearing (6) of the sash and upon closing of the window, which is effected by coordinated tilting of the sash in relation to the intermediate frame and swinging of said intermediate frame in relation to the main frame, engages an associate arresting member (11) on the main frame. After locking together the intermediate frame (3) and the sash (7) at the top, the window will be firmly held in a closed or in a slightly open position. The operation of the window requires only a locking or coupling mechanism at the top of the window.

This invention relates to a window particularly designed to be mountedin an inclined roof and comprising, in a known manner, a main frame andan intermediate frame which at its top is hinged to the main frame andis permanently urged in its opening direction, and a pane supportingsash which in the area of its horizontal centre axis is pivotallymounted in the intermediate frame and is adapted to be locked therewithat or in the vicinity of its upper edge, said sash and main frame beingprovided, at least in one side of the window, with associate arrestingmeans to releasably hold the shash in a desired position.

In a known window of this type the sash comprises at its lower edge alocking member cooperating with the main frame and capable of keepingthe window closed against the permanent opening stress exerted on theintermediate frame, and possibly also capable of securing the window ina slightly open position. As long as the intermediate frame and the sashare locked together at their upper edges they act as a single,top-hinged sash, but after this sash has been swung out from the mainframe the upper-edge-locking may be released, subsequent to which thepane supporting sash acts as a tilting sash pivoted in the intermediateframe. In this situation the sash can thus be turned more or less around, for instance with a view to cleaning the outer face of the pane,but it may as well be desired to fasten the sash in one or moreintermediate positions, and for this purpose the said arresting meansare arranged, which in the known window are constituted by a boltmounted on a side member of the sash and adapted to engage a strikerplate on the adjacent side member of the main frame. With the bolt inengagement the main frame, the intermediate frame and the sash formaltogether a stable triangle so that the sash is firmly secured despitepossible gust of wind or other influences.

When it is desired to transfer the sash from its closing position to itstilted position, it is thus necessary first to release the sash, at thebottom thereof, from the main frame and subsequently to release it atthe top from the intermediate frame, and if it is desired to secure thesash in relation to the intermediate frame, the bolt must further beoperated.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a window of the abovementioned type, but designed so that no locking mechanism is needed atthe lower edge of the sash. This permits not only a simplification ofthe structure but also an easier handling, because only manipulations atthe top edge of the sash are required.

This is achieved by the window according to the invention in that thearresting means of the sash are located in the area of the tilting axisof said sash and are adapted to automatically engage and disengage thearresting means of the main frame upon the swinging of the sash in theclosing direction and in the opening direction, respectively, inrelation to the intermediate frame while this intermediate frame is atleast almost in its closing position in relation to the main frame.

To open the window in this case it is only required that the lockingbetween the intermediate frame and the upper part of the sash isreleased and that the sash is subsequently swung as an ordinary tiltingsash, until said arresting means have been mutually disengaged. Thepermanent stress on the intermediate frame then causes it to swingoutwardly to a position of equilibrium determined beforehand, and ifdesired, the sash may thereupon be swung back to its basic position inrelation to the intermediate frame and be relocked thereto, or it may beleft in a desired angular position in relation to the intermediate frameand maintained in said position, for instance by an enhanced friction inthe pivot hinge of the sash.

Also the closing of the window requires manipulations only at the upperedge of the sash. When the sash is in a suitable angle in relation tothe intermediate frame it is pulled inwardly towards the main frame,until the intermediate frame is at least almost to abut on this mainframe, and when the sash is then swung back towards its closing positionsaid arresting means will reengage, so that the window will beeffectively secured in its closing position after the sash has beenrelocked at its top to the intermediate frame.

An embodiment of the window according to the invention is characterizedin that the arresting means of the sash and the main frame include,respectively, a pin parallel to the tilting axis and at least one trackopen at its lower end and extending approximately parallel to the planeof the window, said track being located so that the pin upon swinging ofthe sash towards and away from the closing position may slide into andout of the track through its open end.

The location of the pin and the track evidently determines the positionin which the locked intermediate frame and sash are secured in relationto the main frame and, accordingly, a particular embodiment of thewindow according to the invention is characterized in that the arrestingmeans of the main frame comprises a first track to fasten the sash inits closing position and at least one track parallel thereto to fastenthe sash in a slightly open position.

It is a characteristic feature of those embodiments too, that thefastening or securing of the sash whether this takes place in theclosing position or in a more or less open position dependent on thelocation of the pin and the track, and also the releasing of the sash isperformed by means of a single grip or handle associated with thelocking mechanism operative between the top portions of the sash and theintermediate frame, and that locking means between the lower parts ofthe sash and the main frame may be totally neglected. Moreover, it is acharacteristic feature that the arresting pin which may be supported bythe sash or possibly by the main frame does not require any separateoperation as is for instance the case of the bolt referred to in theforegoing.

According to the invention the arresting means of the sash mayalternatively comprise a tongue which is directed towards the upper edgeof the sash and in the closing position extends upwardly beneath a stopsupported by the main frame, thereby preventing the intermediate framefrom moving in relation to the main frame. In this case the function isthe same as explained above, but the tongue and the stop may in aparticularly simple manner be combined or integrated with the otherhinging and sealing elements of the window. Moreover, the risk of wrongengagement between the arresting means and consequent damage to them(particularly in attempting to reclose the sash before the intermediateframe is completely in place) may be avoided by arranging the stop ofthe main frame to be movable away from its position of engagementagainst the force of a return spring. In such a case the stop will yieldat beginning misengagement so as to prevent damaging influences fromarising.

With a view to the above mentioned integration the stop of the mainframe may appropriately be constituted by a slide approximately U-shapedin cross-section and slidingly mounted in a guidance within a housingsecured on the main frame, said housing further including a tensionspring to permanently urging the intermediate frame in its openingdirection. Said housing together with the guidance, the slide and thetension spring and possibly also an outer protective mantle for thewindow may be prefabricated on an industrial basis and later on mountedon the main frame after this has been installed so that work in situ isreduced to a minimum.

The invention will now be more fully explained with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment in schematical side elevation andpartially in section showing the sash in open position and released fromthe intermediate frame,

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the hinge area of the sash in anotherembodiment of the invention and with the window in its closed position,and

FIG. 3 is a section along the line III--III in FIG. 2.

At its top the window main frame 1 shown in FIG. 1 is through a hinge 2connected with an intermediate frame 3 balanced through a pair ofsupporting arms 4 pivotally supported by associated slide shoes 5 thatare spring-loaded in a direction downwardly along the side member of themain frame.

A sash 7 with one or more panes 8 is mounted in the intermediate frame 3by means of a pair of coaxial pins 6. At its upper edge said sash may belocked together or coupled to the intermediate frame 3 by means of amechanism not specifically shown which can be considered as symbolizedby the handle 9.

In the vicinity of the pivot pin 6 the side member of the sash 7 isprovided with an additional pin 10, and the side member of the mainframe 1 has as associate fixture plate 11 with two tracks 12 and 13having open ends at the outer surface of the main frame.

When the window is to be closed from the position as shown, the sash 7is swung anti-clockwise in the bearing 6 until it abuts on theintermediate frame 3 which itself is swung inwardly in the hinge 2 intoabutment against the main frame 1. During this combined movement care istaken that the arresting pin 10 enters the track 12 so that the windowwill eventually be kept firmly in its closing position after the sashand the intermediate frame have been locked together at the top. It itis desired to arrest the window in a slightly open position, the pin 10is guided into the track 13 instead of the track 12.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the sash 7 is mounted at thelower portion of the intermediate frame 3 by means of a tilting hinge 6that may be of a known type and thus does not have to be explained indetail, said tilting hinge determining a tilting axis at some distancefrom and outside in relation to the plane of the window. The hinge 6 iscombined with an arresting means comprising a tongue 10' that pointsupwardly against the upper edge of the sash 7, see FIG. 3, and which inthe closing position extends upwards beneath a stop or abutmentconstituted by the web 14 of a slide 11' U-shaped in cross-section andhaving flanges 15 which are double-folded and slidingly engage aguidance 16 in a housing 17 that is secured on the main frame sidemember 1 and leaving room for a tension spring 18 serving to load theshoe 5, FIG. 1, downwardly. A second and weaker tension spring 19 urgesthe slide 11' in the same direction so that this slide may yieldupwardly from its position of engagement, if the tongue 10' during theclosing movement should abut the edge of the stop 14 instead of slidingupwardly beneath it as intended.

The housing 17 is shown integral with a mantle 20 for exterior weatherprotection of the casing 1.

I claim:
 1. A tilting window arrangement, particularly intended forinstallation in an inclined roof structure, comprisinga main frameincluding a top member, two spaced lateral members and a bottom member,an intermediate frame including two lateral members which in the closedposition of the window extend at least along the upper half of said mainframe lateral members, hinge means between the top portions of said mainand intermediate frames and defining an axis that is parallel to saidmain frame top member, means operative to urge said intermediate frameaway from its closed position by swinging about said hinge means, a panesupporting sash, pivot means arranged adjacent the horizontal centerline of said sash and tiltingly connecting said sash to saidintermediate frame lateral members, manually releasable locking meansoperative between the upper portions of said sash and said intermediateframe, and cooperative arresting means on said sash and said main frameto hold the sash in a predetermined position when said locking means areengaged, the arresting means of the sash being located at a slightdistance from the tilting axis defined by said pivot means to beautomatically caught by and released from the associated arresting meansof said main frame upon tilting of said sash in its closing and openingdirection, respectively, in relation to said intermediate frame in thealmost closed position thereof.
 2. A tilting window arrangement asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the arresting means of said sash include alaterally protruding pin extending parallel to said tilting axis, thearresting means of said main frame including at least one track which isopen at its lower end to receive said pin upon closing of said sash andwhich extends upwardly from said open end.
 3. A tilting windowarrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arresting means of saidsash include a laterally protruding pin extending parallel to saidtilting axis, the arresting means of said main frame including at leasttwo parallel tracks which are open at their lower ends to receive saidpin closing of said sash and which extend upwardly from said open ends,said tracks being located so as to secure said sash in its fully closedand a slightly open position, respectively.
 4. A tilting windowarrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arresting means of saidsash comprises a tongue secured to the sash and having an upwardlyextending end portion, the arresting means of said main frame comprisingan abutment member carried by the associated main frame lateral memberin such a position as to catch said tongue end portion upon closing ofsaid sash.
 5. A tilting window arrangement as claimed in claim 4,wherein said abutment member is movable relative to said main framelateral member between an operative position and an inoperative positionand is urged by a return spring towards said operative position.